Living on an island

may sound good. The idea of being surrounded by water, perhaps beautiful beaches or dramatic cliffs with wonderful bird life and very little traffic sounds good to some people. 

There are other people who think that something like this might be nice for a holiday too. Ms W and her father have done this. They booked  into a "beach shack" in a fairly remote location on the island to the south of us. They went with a pile of books, Ms W's art materials and her father's fishing line ("which he never puts any bait on so he can sit there and pretend and think or just sleep".) Ms W tells me it was one of the most relaxing holidays they had.

I can imagine it. I know the location. The central section of the jetty was blown up during the way for fear of a Japanese invasion. It was only years later that it was repaired but, apart from that, it is still very quiet.

The Senior Cat had responsibility for the then very big school in the middle of the island for four years in the mid-sixties. It was a very different place then. The middle of the island was made up of "soldier-settlement" farms. There were many problems associated with the men, and some women, who had returned from the war and who were sent farming. It was done with the best of intentions but isolating them on farms on an island was not conducive to good mental health.

I was reminded of all of this when I saw a small column in this morning's paper. The island is now almost entirely dependent on the tourist industry. Like all other sections of the tourist industry it has experienced a downturn. Where other parts of the state however are seen as more accessible the island is not. We used to talk about "the strip of water between us and the mainland". On a fine and calm day it can look lovely but the passage between the two is one known to sailors as one of the potentially roughest passages of water in the world. It can be impossible to cross in bad weather. It isolates people. There is an airport, much improved on the galvanised iron shed we knew.  Air transport has limits though, especially when the runway is short. Most goods and all vehicles go in by sea transport.

And therein lies the problem still. What makes the island a wonderful destination for that quiet holiday is also the thing that makes it so inaccessible for many. The island needs tourists to survive now. It especially needs them following the devastating fires last summer. The islanders don't want traffic jams in the main street of the main coastal settlement. They want a steady flow of tourists year round.

I wonder how they are going to survive. Ms W's father is suggesting they go back this summer. Ms W is keen. She may be in her teens now but she has no desire to spend the entire summer holiday "hanging out" with friends.  Unlike some she does not get "bored" when there is "nothing to do". She will find something to do. When I spoke to her yesterday she had plans for what she might do if they go.

I hope they do. The island needs people like them to go and visit.